Elevator-indicator



-2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

F. ANDREWS. BLEVATOR INDICATOR.

Patented Jan. 2, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED ANDREIVS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ELEVATOR-IN DICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,987, dated January 2, 1894.

Application filed November 17,

i892. serniivwiczaee. motora To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED ANDREWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicator Mechanism for Elevators, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My present invention has for its obliects, first, to provide an improved indicator for passenger or freight elevators, whereby the position of the elevator within the hatchway can be more readily seen; and, second, to provide improved means for securing the accurate operation of the indicator, notwithstanding the slipping or creeping of the elevator cable, incident to the sudden stopping and starting of the car or'from other causes. These objects of invention I have accomplislied by the novel features of construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly defined in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of an indicator in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a v iew in horizontal section on line 3, 3, of Fig. 2. Fig. t is a view in vertical section through the elevator hatcli-way, the car and the mechanism at the top of the hatcli-way being. shown in side elevation. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mechanism at the top of the elevator hatchway. Fig. G is a View in side elevation showing the mechanism at the top of the hatchway; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged view in cross section on line 7, 7, ofFig. 5. i

In constructing my improved indicator', I prefer to employ a suitable inclosilng case A, preferably of metal, the face ot which is formed with flanges a, behind which is held the front plate B, preferably of glass or other translucent material.

Within the inclosing casing A,l are preferably formed the sheet metal .guides C, bent to the shapes shown to admit the edges of the shifting plate D, and these guide-ways C will serve also to hold in place the front plate B. The front plate B has its body preferably colored upon the back side, leaving the numbers or marks Zi translucent, and the back plate A of the inclosing casing will have its inner face colored to correspond with the color of the body of the front plate B. The face of the shifting plate D, will be colored so as to strongly contrast in color with the body of the front plate B, and this shifting plate D will be preferably of a length somewhat greater than the distance from the top of one number to the top of the next succeeding number, so that before the shifting plate leaves one number it will begin to pass behind the next succeeding number, and will thus indicate to the observer the direction of travel of the elevator.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that inasmuch as the back plate A of the casing A corresponds in color, (for example, black) with the body of the front plate B,.and, inasmuch as the numbers or marks upon the front plate are translucent, the color of the back plate A will show through all the numbers or marks, except such as is coveied by the shifting plate D,and as a consequence the eye of the observer will be attracted only to that number or mark behind which the shifting plate D, of strongly contrasting color can be seen.

Any suitable means may be employed for operating the shifting plate D, but the mechanism which I prefer to use for such purpose is that hereinafter described.

At the top of the liatcli-way IV, in which travels the elevator car X, is mounted the winding drum F, over which the lifting cable f of the elevator passes, in a manner well understood in the art. The shaft got' the drum F, is extended beyond its bearings, (as more particularly shown in Fig. 7,) and upon the outer end of this shaft g is loosely mounted a pinion or sprocket wheel G, which is suitably geared, preferably by a sprocket chain II, with a corresponding sprocket wheel I, upon the indicator shaft 'i'.

In order to allow a slip movement between the druin shaft g and the indicator shaft t', I employ a friction clutch, preferably constructed and located as hereinafter described.

The drum shaft g is formed with a shoulder g', having a convex outer face, between which andthe correspondingly concave inner face of the pinion G, is mounted a friction disk k, of leather or like material, and upon the opposite side of this pinion G is placed a similar friction disk lo', which is forced into bearing with the concaved adjacent side of the pinion G, by means of the clutch sleeve K. This sleeve K is preferably held upon the shaft g by means of a spline, 5, and is forced normally into bearingagainst the friction disk 7c by the coiled spring, 6, that also encircles the reduced end of the shaft g; and the outer end of this shaft g is screw threaded, as at g2, to receive an adjusting nut, 7, whereby the tension of the spring 6 can be regulated as desired.

' From the foregoing description it willv be seen that as the drum shaft g is caused to revolve during the raising and lowering of the elevator, revolution will be imparted from this shaft to the indicator shaft c', by the gear mechanism before described, and this revoluti'on of the elevator shaft will be imparted to the indicators upon the several floors of the building, by an indicator rod or cable R, to the upper end of l which is connected a sprocket chain S, that passes around a pinion T, aixed to the end of the indicator shaft.

Upon the sprocket chain S are fixed, (preferably in a manner permitting their ready adjustment,) the stops s and s', adapted to contact with the stop plate M, through which the chain S passes. Hence, it is manifest that as the indicator shaft 'i has revolution imparted thereto,in the manner above described, it will serve, through the medium of the pinion T and the chain S, toimpart a rising and falling movement to the indicator rod or cable R, and through the medium of this rod, to the shifting plate D of each of the several indicators upon the iioors of the building. It will be seen that if, from any ca-use, such, for example, as the too sudden starting or stopping of the elevator carriage, the gear mechanism between the drum shaft g and the indicator shaft c', should impart too great a movement to the pinion T and the sprocket chain S, thereby causing the indicators to inaccurately show the position of the elevator, the stop s or s upon the chain S will, at the limit of its travel, contact with the stop plate M, and prevent any further revolution of the indicator shaft z' until the elevator carriage X has reached the extent of its travel in corresponding direction. When the indicator shaft z' is thus arrested by the stops sors', a slip movement is permitted between the indicator shaft z' and the drum shaft g, by reason of the friction clutch mechanism above described. From this it will be seen that at each upward and downward movement of the elevator carriage, a resetting of the indicators is effected to secure the accurate indication of the position ofthe elevator carriage, to compensate for any irregularity of movement incident to the slip .ping or creeping of the elevator cable.

It is manifest that details of construction above described may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that features of the invention can be employedwithout its adoption as an entirety.

The indicators upon the several floors of the building can be connected to the indicator rod R in any well known or convenient manner. I prefer, however, to eect this connection as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which, as will be seen, the shifting plate D of the indicator has affixed to its back the cord d that passes through guide tubes d at the top nand bottom of the inclosing casing A, the ends of this cord d being attached to the arms d2 that are fixed to the indicator rod R. Manifestly the arms d2 will be set at such distance apart as to permit the free up and down movement of the shifting plate D.

Whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-` l. An indicator mechanism Yfor elevators comprising a front plate provided with numbers or marks contrasting with the body of said plate, said front plate being in part translucent, a back plate corresponding in color with the non-translucent part kof the front plate, and a shifting plate of contrasting color behind said front plate, and suitable means for moving said shifting plate past said nurnbers or marks, substantially as described.

2. An indicator for elevators comprising a front plate of glass or like material, the body of which is colored, and which is provided with translucent numbers or marks of contrastingcolor to said body, a back plate colored to correspond with the color `of the Ybody of the front plate, and ashiftingplate located between said front and back plates, and means for moving said shifting plate, substantially as described.

3. In indicator mechanism for elevators Itho combination with the drum shaft yand with the indicator shaft and with a suitable connection leading from said indicator shaft to the indicators of suitably geared pinions upon said shafts, a friction clutch for connecting one of said pinions to its shaft, and suitable stop mechanism for limiting .the movement of theindicator connection whereby a slip movement between said shafts is permitted, substantially as described.

4. In indicator mechanism for elevators the combination with the drum shaft and with theA indicator shaft and with a suitable Aconnection between said indicator shaftfand the indicatorsof suitably geared :pinions upon IOO IIO

said shafts, a spring actuated friction clutch for connecting one of said pinions to its shaft and suitable stop mechanism for limiting the movement of said indicator connection, substantially as described. l

5. In indicator mechanism for elevators, the combination with the drum shaft .and with the indicator shaft of suitablygeared'pinions upon said shaft, and a suitable connection between said indicator shaft and the indicators, said drum shaft being provided with an extension whereon one of said pinions is mounted, a friction clutch mounted upon the extension of said drum shaft and serving to connect its pinions therewith and stop mechanism for limiting the movement of said indicator connection, substantially as described.

G. The combination,with the drum shaft and with the indicator shaft, ofV suitably geared ro pinions upon such shafts, and a friction clutch for holding one of said pinions on its shaft, whereby a slip movement between said shafts is permitted, and an indicator pinion on said indicator shaft, and a chain extended over said indicator pinion, and provided with stops, :5

substantially as described.

FRED ANDREWS. Witnesses:

GEO. P. FISHER, Jr., FRED GERLACH. 

